Potato-digger.



Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETSfSHEET 1.

NN SNN \W \MM o si A vgentor Attorney J. FRITZ.`

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 23, 1910.

Witnesses J. FRITZ.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2s, 1910.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 37 2% ifa-(2j y Wtnesses l (/ZMZZZ/nventor AttorneysJULIU'S FRITZ, 0F PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

'.POTATO-DIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14,1911.

Original application led .Tune 3, 1910, Serial No. 564,767. Divided andthis application filed December 23,

1910. Serial No. 598,922.

Theobject of the invention is to provide.y a digger of the characterindicated with a` plurality of endless chain belts adapted to coperatewith each other to clean the potatoes as they are elevated along themachine.

These belts are arranged to move. in orbitv one wit-hin the other andthe openings provided in the inner belt are smaller than the openingsprovided in the outer belt therefore the potatoes may pass through theouter belt-and lodge upon the inner belt while the dirt and refuse maypass through both belts. FromY the inner belt the potatoes are deliveredinto a hopper which is pivotally mounted upon the frame of the diggerand the material of large size which is deposited upon the outer belt iscarried to the rear end of the machine where it is thrown to the ground.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the potatodigger. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the digger viewing the same from the sideopposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of asection of the outer conveyer belt. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of asection of the inner conveyer belt. Fig. 6 is a detail transversesection showing portions of the walls of the trunk, the U- shaped axlemounted therein and a portion of the attached lever for operating saidaxle to raise and lower the trunk.

The digger consists of a frame 1 which is pivotally mounted at itsforward end upon a Wheel supported truck 2. A draft tongue 3 is attachedto the truck 2 in the usual manner. The rear portion of the frame 1 issupported upon a U-shaped axle 4 having traction wheels 5 journaled uponits outwardly disposed extremities.

A trunk 6 is supported upon the intermediate portion of the axle 4 andwhen the digger is in operation the said intermediate portion of thesaid axle is vertically disposed in a downward direction. Beams 7 areattached at their rear end portions to the front ends of the sides ofthe vtrunk 6 and the forward ends of said beams 7 are connected togetherby a cross bark 8. A clevis 9 is located upon the cross bar 8 and isvertically above the rear end portion of the draft tongue 3. The

forward end portions of the beams 7 are longitudinally slotted as at 10.

A yoke 11 is mounted upon the forward portion of the frame 1 and servesas a guide for the forward end portion of the beams 7. A crank shaft 12is journaled at its end portions in the sides of the yoke l1 and theintermediate crank portion of the said shaft passes transversely throughthe elongated slots 10 provided in the forward end portions of the beams7. A gear segment 13 is fixed to one end of the crank shaft 12 and arack bar 14 is provided with a set of gearteeth 15 which mesh with theteeth of the gear segment 13. A guide 16 is mounted upon the yoke 11 andserves to hold the Ateeth of the rack bar 14 in engagement with theteeth of the segment 13 while the said .rack bar 14 moves longitudinallyand turns .the segment 13 as will be explained hereinafter. A lever 16is xed to one of the end portions of the axle 4 and may be used forlswinging the same to raise or lower the trunk 6.

I Gear wheels 19 are journaled upon the end portions of the axle 4 andratchet disks 20 are concentrically fixed with relation. to the saidgear wheels 19. Spring pawls 21 are pivoted upon the spokes of thetraction wheels 5 and are resiliently held against the teeth of thedisks 20. The said ratchet disks and spring pawls constitute escapementdevices commonly used in agricultural machines and serve to turn` thegear wheels 19 in unison with theftraction wheels 5 when the machine ismoving in a forward direction but which permits the said gear wheels 19to remain at rest when the traction wheels 5 are turning in a rearwarddirection.

Ashaft 22 is journaled for rotation in the end portions in the sides ofthe trunk 6 and gear wheels 23 arexed to the ends of the said shaft 22and lie in the path of movement o-f the gear wheels 19 when the axle 41s turned in its bearings upo-n the trunk 6 as will be explainedpresently. Arms 24 are fixed to the intermediate portionsl of the shaft22 and lie adjacent the inner surfaces of the sides of the trunk 6.Rollers .25 arev journaled upon the ends of the arms 24.

Gruide strips 26 are lpivotally conn'ecteda't their forward ends withthe sides of the trunk 6 and are upwardly and rearwardly inclined-'andextend 'transversely across the@ shaft .22 directly above the arms 24and theg rollers 25 carried thereby. The rear por-j tions of't-he strips12'6are free t'o'swing vertically and are soswung vas theshaft 22rotates and the opposite `ends of the -arms 24,:

and the rollers 25 carried thereby alter- .natelycome incontac'twith theunder surfaces lof the said strips. A digging share 27 is supported'atthe 'lower rear -endsfof' the beams 7. Arms-28 depend VVfrom theinter-l mediate portions of the trunk vr6 and'a'roller 29 is journaledfor rotation between the 'saidv arms at a position 'elevated above thesul'- face of the ground. A platform 30 is supported by the'rear endport-ion of the trunk v6 andv is provided atits rear end with a jour-Ynal roller 31. A roller 32 is journaled in bearings y33 which areadjustably mounted in guides 34 provided upon the sides of the trunk 6.The roller'32 is provided with two sets of gear teeth 35. A roller'36 isjour naled'to the share 27below therear edge thereof and is spaced ashort distance above 'the same. ranged Ito move aboutfthe rollers 31,32, 36

An endless conveyer 37 is arand over the roller'29 supported by the arms28. The upper run of the said conveyer passes-overthe guide strips 26and is in contact with the same. The endless conveyer 37 is made up ofaseries of rods linked together at their ends and having theirvintermediate portions spaced 4from each other, the vspace between 'theintermediate vportions of the said rods being sufcient to ypermitpotatoes and soil to pass through but the said intermediate portions ofthe rods are in such vclose relation as to Vvprevent the foliage oftheplants from passing down be-- the sprocket wheels 38, 391and 40 and is4adaptedto transmit rotary movement'from the -shaft 22 to the roller 32and the said roller in lturn will actuate the endless vconveyer 37VDuring the time that the upper'v run ofthe conveyer 37 is moving overthe Vguide strips `26 the roller 25 at the opposite ends'of the arms24alternately come in contact withthe said guide strips 26 verticallyand the said guide strips inlturn agitate the v upper run of theconveyer 37 to facilitate separation of the .potatoes from vines orplants.` A slack absorber 42 is located upon one of the sides of thetrunk 6 and bears upon the upper run of the sprocket chain 41 `andserves to keep the said sprocket chain taut.

The sprocket wheel 40 is fixed to a shaft 43 which in turn is journaledin the bearings 44 adjustably mounted in guides 45 located atthe sidesof the trunk 6. Sprocket wheels "47 are'mounted upon the intermediateportion ofthe shaft 43. A conveyer 44 is located within the conveyer 37and passes aroundthe sprocketwheels 47 'and shaft 43 'go `and the roller36 -journaleol at the rear vportion of the share 27. The conveyer 44 issimilar infstructure to the conveyer 37 with tthe exception that theintermediate port-ions of its bars v`are closer together and there isnot sufficient-space between the said portions of the said bars topermit potatoes to fall through.

A yoke 48 is pivoted uponthe platform 30 for horizontal swingingmovement and a hopper 49 is pivoted between the ends of the yoke'48 forvertical swinging movement. The hopper-49 is providedwith an inclinedvslatted bottom section 50 and the lower end of a conveyer `trunk 51 isAfixed 'to the hopper -49 and is in synclinal relation to the botrectionthe share 27 will pass under the tubers and lift the -sametogetherwith'top lsoil and the vines upon the upper run of the conveyer 37. Thepotatoes and soil will fall "through'the links of the s aidA conveyerwhile the vines will rest upon the upper run and will be carried up andpass over beyond the end of the trunk 6. The tubers will'drop downbetween thelinks of the conveyer 37 upon the links of the conveyer 44and the soil will pass through the spaces between the links of theconveyer 44 and deposit upon the ground. The potatoes are carried up bythefupper run of the conveyer 44 and are deposited inthe hopper 49, thepotatoes Aare then engaged by the conveyer 'mounted in the trunk 51 andcarried to one side of the digger. At the time lthe vines are passingalongthe upperrunfof the conveyerV 37, the conveyer is agitated by thearms 24 carried by the 'shaft 22 and thus separation of the 'tubers fromthe vines is facilitated.

swung 'in a forward direction which will turnthe yaxle 4 in its bearingsin the Jtrunk 6 so that the crank extremities of the said axle will beswung in a downward direction.

This "movement on the part of the axle 4 will carry thetraction wheels 5down and i130 the rear portion of the trunk 6 is elevated. At the sametime the bar 14 is moved in a forward direction and the teeth 15engaging the segment 13 will partially rotate the shaft 12 and theintermediate crank portion of the said shaft is moved in an upwarddirection and thus the forward ends of the beams 7 are lifted. Thismovement on the part of theltrunk 6 and beams 7 will lift the share 27above the surface of the ground.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A digger comprising a wheel-mounted frame, an inclined trunksupported upon the frame, a digging share located at the lower end ofthe trunk, a rotatable member located at the lower end of the trunkbelow the rear edge of the share, inner and outer conveyers mounted formovement along the trunk and trained around said rotatable member, meansfor operating the conveyers from the supporting wheels, the outerconveyer having rods spaced at greater distance apart than the rods ofthe inner conveyer.

2. A digger comprising a wheel-mounted frame, an .inclined trunksupported upon the frame, a digging share located at the lower end ofthe trunk, a rotatable member located at the lower end of the trunkbelow the rear edge of the share, inner and outer conveyers mounted formovement along the trunk and both trained around said rotatable member,means for operating the conveyer from the supporting wheels, the outerconveyer having rods spaced at greater distance apart than the rods ofthe inner conveyer, and a hopper pivotally mounted upon the frame andlocated within the outer conveyer, said hopper having its receiving endlocated below the delivery end of the inner conveyer.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS FRITZ.

Witnesses JACOB E. JAooBsEN, J. H. GWINN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

